Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said it is “disturbing” the Irish Kidney Association was forced to take legal action against a Dublin hospital which has not returned a building owned by the charity after the health facility borrowed it more than four years ago.
In 2020, Beaumont Hospital took over a 13-room residential facility used by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) on its campus for use as part of Covid-19 contingency planning. At the time, an undertaking had been given that the facility would be handed back in the appropriate condition when possible.
In July 2023, the IKA took legal action against the hospital in a bid to regain use of the building. It is still being used by Beaumont Hospital.
In a letter dated February 14th, and obtained under Freedom of Information laws, Mr Donnelly wrote to the chair of Beaumont Hospital, saying the “lack of substantial progress in resolving this matter, despite numerous engagements and discussions, is concerning”.
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“While I appreciate the clinical necessity that led to the relocation of services for immunocompromised patients, it is disconcerting that the IKA support unit was identified as a viable option without a clear plan for its return,” Mr Donnelly said.
“The options presented to the IKA, including the purchase of the support unit and a co-located modular build, have proven to be untenable.”
He added: “I am most concerned to see a small charity treated in this way by a hospital that is funded by the exchequer. It is disturbing that the Irish Kidney Association felt it had no option but to go to court in order to find a resolution.”
Mr Donnelly said the hospital’s board must take “immediate and decisive steps to resolve this matter and return the support unit to the IKA”.
“I wish to avoid having to take further action and look forward to your response with the date for the return of the IKA support unit,” he concluded.
It is understood the hospital has provided a number of dates on which it pledged to vacate the building, but that these dates have passed and the hospital continues to use the facility.
Beaumont Hospital did not respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the IKA said that as the situation was subject to legal proceedings, it was advised it should not comment.
This is the second letter Mr Donnelly sent to the hospital on this topic. In response to his first letter, Pauline Philip, chair of Beaumont Hospital, said the IKA has received an in-person and in-writing apology “for the delay to date in addition to an unequivocal commitment to return the property at the earliest possible juncture”.
“Beaumont Hospital remains fully committed to that undertaking; however, physical capacity restrictions and market availability of a replacement modular facility have served as serious constraints,” the letter said.
“It is important to highlight that the hospital has arranged alternative hotel accommodation for patient relatives, at its own expense, within 10 minutes of the hospital, which represents a significant upgrade in the quality and standard of lodgings relative to those which have been provided in the IKA support unit.”
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